Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture barred zoos from allowing cubs under four weeks old to be petted or fed by members of the public. The announcement comes following a 2012 petition by Born Free USA and others, which called for a ban on public petting of big cats, bears, and primates. Kate Dylewsky, Program Associate at Born Free USA, said the rule change is a good first step: “We prioritized this issue, because it may seem like such an innocent thing—taking a photo with these baby animals—but it is indicative of a system of breeding and discarding these animals that has the potential to fuel an illegal exotic pet trade.” Additionally, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that owners of captive “generic” tigers are no longer exempt from a permitting process, meaning any type of tiger now sold across state lines must be registered.
Link: TakePart